Spring clip wrench attachment for holding a screw



y 15, 1956 P. D. CORNELIUS 2,745,304

SPRING CLIP WRENCH ATTACHMENT FOR HOLDING A SCREW Filed May 3, 1954 F/aZ IN VEN TOR. PAUL D. CORNELIUS United States Patent Office 2,745,304 Patented May 15, 1956 SPRING CLIP WRENCH ATTACHMENT FOR HOLDING A SCREW Paul D. Cornelius, Burbank, Calif., assignor to Vlier Engineering, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 3, 1954, Serial No. 427,127

1 Claim. (Cl. 81-71) The present invention relates generally to wrenches for operating screws and more particularly to a novel device for interlocking such wrenches and screws.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device which may be detachably mounted on a wrench to form a part thereof. A further object is to mount on a wrench a device so shaped and constructed that it will engage the screw to which the wrench is applied firmly to maintain the wrench in position thereon. A still further object is to provide a device of this type which, while the wrench is manipulated to operate the screw, will not interfere with or cause any inconvenience in the manipulation of the Wrench.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred form of attachment clip embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing how said clip is utilized to attach a screw to a wrench; and

Figure 3 illustrates the manner whereby said clip is positioned between a wrench and a screw.

Referring to the drawings, the preferred form of attachment clip A embodying the present invention is utilized to releasably maintain the socket of a socket head screw S seated upon the front end of a wrench, or generally L-shaped key W. This attachment clip is formed of a narrow strip of resilient material, such as spring steel.

More particularly, the preferred form of attachment clip A is formed at its front end with a hook 12 for engaging the screw S, an aperture or perforation 14 disposed rearwardly of the hook 12 of slightly greater cross-sectional area than the wrench W, and an abutment member, generally designated 16, rearwardly of the aperture 14. When the clip is positioned upon the wrench W, as shown in Figure 2, the engagement of the abutment member 16 with the wrench serves to cant the portion of the strip wherein is formed the aperture 14 relative to the wrench so as to thereby both restrain this apertured portion from movement along the wrench and also to bias the free end of the hook 12 toward the screw S.

With particular reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that the intermediate portion of the strip from which the clip is fabricated is formed with a portion of a loop 20. The aperture 14 is formed forwardly of this loop 20 and a second aperture 22 is formed rearwardly thereof. The hook 12 extends forwardly from the portion 24 of the strip wherein is formed the aperture 14. In this form of attachment clip, the abutment member 16 for efiecting the canting of the apertured portion 24 of the strip relative to the wrench W comprises the loop 20 and the portion 26 of the strip wherein is formed the second aperture 22.

When the attachment clip A is shaped as shown and described herein it may be forced over the front end of the wrench W in the manner depicted in Figure 3. Thus, with the portions 24 and 26 squeezed together, the clip may be urged over the upper leg of the wrench. Thereafter, the operator may seat the socket 10 of the screw S upon the front end of the wrench W. The free end 30 of the hook 12 may then be engaged with one of the threads of the screw and the operator can release the strip portions 24 and 26. The loop 20 will then urge the portions 24 and 26 away from one another and the engagement of the rear apertured portion 26 with the wrench will cant the front apertured portion 24 downwardly and forwardly relative to the wrench. The upper and lower edges of the apertures 14 and 22 will then engage the wrench with sufficient force as to exert considerable frictional resistance to movement of the clip along the wrench. Likewise, the free end 30 of the hook 12 will be urged against the root of one of the threads of the screw S with appreciable force.

In order to release the hook 12 from the screw S, it is only necessary to squeeze the clip portions 24 and 26 together and rock them rearwardly on the wrench. The free end 30 of the hook will then be raised free of the screw threads.

I It should be particularly observed that the free leg of the hook 12 may be inclined radially inwardly and rearwardly relative to the screw S. With this arrangement, the free end 30 of the hook will slip freely over the threads of the screw during the application of the hook thereto, however, it is necessary to manually lift the free leg of the hook out of the screw threads in order to effect their disengagement. Additionally, it is important to note that the greater the magnitude of force with which it is attemped to unseat the screw socket 10 relative to the wrench, the more the apertured portion 14 of the clip is canted and hence the greater the magnitude of frictional resistance that exists between the apertured portion 14 and the Wrench. Accordingly, the apertured portion 14 will offer greater resistance against movement of the clip relative to the wrench. As shown in Figure 1, the free end 30 of the hook 12 is preferably formed with a circular groove 42 of a diameter substantially cor responding to the root diameter of the threads of screw S.

While there have been shown and described a preferred form of attachment clip embodying the present invention, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made with respect thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claim.

This is a continuation-in-part of patent application Serial No. 408,875, filed by me February 8, 1954, under the same title, now abandoned.

I claim:

An attachment clip for releasably retaining the socket of a horizontally disposed socket head screw upon the horizontal front end of a wrench having a polygonal cross-section similar to that of said socket, comprising: an integral strip of spring steel having its intermediate portion formed into an incomplete dovmwardly extending loop, a rear leg extending upwardly and rearwardly from the rear terminus of said loop, a front leg extending upwardly and forwardly from the front terminus of said loop with the forward portion of said front leg being curved over upon itself downwardly so as to define a hook, said clip having a pair of horizontally aligned apertures of slightly larger but similar crosssectional shape as said Wrench formed in said front and rear legs above said loop, and the free end of said hook having an upwardly curved screw-engaging recess substantially corresponding to the root diameter of said screw, said front and rear legs being constantly biased away from one another so as to cause the edges of said apertures to frictionally engage said wrench and thereby simultaneously restrain movement of said legs along said wrench References Cited in the file of this patent and -biastthe t-fhreeand of said 130011 dgwnwardlg inof'en- UNITED STATES PATENTS ga emen W1 sa1 screw, sa1 c 1p eing ren ere ree to move along said wrench and said hook being raised 657,176 Mumford Sept' 1900 from engagement with said screw by'the exertion of a 5 769,863 Haddock Sept 1904 squeezing force upon the upper ends of said front and 849,439 Thompson 1907 rear41egS 1,505,220 Shay Aug. 19, 1924 1,558,267 McGuckin Oct. .20,v 1925 2,632,488 Becker Mar. 24; 1953 

